Bhadrachalam Temple

The Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Temple at Bhadrachalam The most famous temple in the country dedicated to Lord Rama, is situated on the left bank of the Godavari river. It is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus, considered to be one of the greatest holy shrines in South India with a very rich and unique historical background.

Bhadrachalam is closely connected with the life of the 17th century saint composer Kancharla Gopanna, popularly known as Bhakta Ramadas, a fervent devotee of Lord Sree Rama.,Bhaktha Ramadas is said to have used money from the government treasury to build this temple, and was imprisoned in a dungeon at Golconda. Lord Rama is said to have miraculously given the Sultan the money spent by Gopanna, after which he was released. Gopanna then became Bhadrachala Ramada’s and went on to compose innumerable number of songs in Telugu in praise of Rama.The temple at Bhadrachalam has the Archa Murthys of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana and are considered to be Svayambhu Murthys (self-manifested ones).Srirama appeared in a dream to a woman called Pokala Dammakka and informed here about the existence of vigrahas on Bhadragiri hills. To her surprise she found the "Vigrahas" and put up a modest structure.Dhammakka, cleared jungle and offered puja to the deities Bhadrachalam and Vijayanagara are sites said to have been closely associated with the Ramayana. Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are said to have stayed at Parnasala, 35 km away from Bhadrachalam. Rama is said to have crossed the river Godavari on his way to Sri Lanka to rescue Sita, at the spot where the Bhadrachalam temple stands, on the northern bank of the river. Legend has it that the son of Meru and Menaka, Bhadra, performed penances towards Rama here. Kabirdas, a Muslim by birth is also closely associated with this temple. It is believed that the images of the deities miraculously disappeared when Kabir was refused entry into the temple and that they reappeared miraculously upon his being permitted to enter. Bhadrachalam attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees from all over the world. This hill place that is encircled by Holy River Godavari flowing towards southern direction is the famous shrine Bhadrachalam.

The name is derived from Bhadragiri (Mountain of Bhadra: a boon child of Meru and Menaka). The history of this shrine stands for the significance of Ramayana Era, the coherent hill place existed in “Dandakaranya” of Ramayana period where Rama with his consort Sita and brother Lakshmana had spent their vanavasa. The vicinity of the temple had its incongruous mixture in another story which depicts the exigency of "Sri Mahavishnu" to manifest himself as Rama and shuffled again to the mortal coil — long after Ramavatara was to fulfill his promise to his Bhakta Bhadra (a mountain king), a sage who had been continuing the intense penance to get grace of Lord Rama.The puranic and historic facts relate that Lord Rama long after he had shed his mortal coils manifested himself to save his devotee Bhadra Maharshi whom he promised 'moksha' after intensive prayer. That is why the village is named after Bhadra as Bhadradri or Bhadrachalam. Srirama appeared in a dream to a woman called Pokala Dammakka and informed here about the existence of vigrahas on Bhadragiri hills. To her surprise she found the "Vigrahas" and put up a modest structure. This was the origin of the present temple.

History:
       A sacred place that attracts lakhs of devotes from all over the world,it is the abode of Lord Rama (The seventh incarnation of SriMahavishnu). This hill place which is encircled by holy river Godavari flowing towards southern direction is the famous shrine Bhadrachalam-The name derived from Bhadragiri (Mountain of Bhadra-a boon child of Meru and Menaka). According to a Ithihasas, the significance of this shrine dates back to the Ramayana Era. This coherent hill place existed in "Dandakaranya" Of Ramayana period where Rama with his consort Sita and brother Laxmana had spent their vanavasa- and Parnashaala(the place connected to the famous Golden Deer and the place from where Sita was abducted by Ravana.) is also in the vicinity of this temple site. It is at this Mandir site that, long after Ramavatara, Bhagawan Mahavishnu manifested Himself as Rama again to fulfil a promise He made to His Bhakta Bhadra, who continued his Tapas through Yugas, praying for the grace of the Bhagawan Sri Ramachandra murthy.

Maharshi Bhadra:

           Bhadra performed penance at the bank of river Godavari in this " Dandakaranya " to get grace of lord Rama and in countenance of his beloved God - The exulted "Rishi" implored Rama to be seated on his head ,but Rama who was in search of his consort Sita gave promise to his Bhakta that his desire would be fulfilled on his way back , after finding Sita and accomplishing the process of punishing the wicked Ravana and establish 'Dharma' . Thus the sage had been in continuation of the frightened penance as Rama could not accomplish the promise in Ramavatara . Then Sri Mahavishnu manifested himself as Vykuntha Rama and rushed to his devotee Bhadra , signaling hisarrival by blowing 'Shanku',accompanied by his consort Sita and brother Laxmana , resembling that of 'Gajendra Moksham ' - Thus , the moorthies of Rama ( having four hands ) - Shanku on the right , Chakra at his left and Dhanurbhana ( Bow and Arrow in the rest two hands ) , Sita had condescended on the left lap of Rama and brother ( at Rama's left ) are existed . And the hill place where the Deities were seated on , was the head place of Bhadra - achalam ( hill ) ,thus this shrine was transformed into Bhadrachalam . The idols of Vykuntha Rama, Laxmana and Sita were found by Pokala Dhammakka. Pokala Dhammakka, an ardent devotee of Rama lived in the 17th century and was an inhabitant of Bhadrireddypalem, a mile away from this holy place. On one fine night, she had darshan of Rama in her dream who said "the saints and sages are worshiping my embodied moorthy settled on Bhadragiri" and asked her to trace them, perform pooja and attain salvation. On the very next day morning she started searching for the idols-peeped into an ant-hill and found the idols hidden in it. She poured hundreds of pots of Godavari water on the ant-hill which tardily dissolved and gave way for the appearance of the hidden Deities. Since then, she used to perform pooja daily and offer 'naivedyam' with fruits fallen from near palmyra tree and constructed a mandapam of thatch hut with the help of local villagers. Bhagawan Rama told Dhammakka that at a later date, one of his devotees would construct a Mandir at this site. Dhammakka waited patiently for the devotee. The devotee turned out to be Bhakta Ramadas.

Construction of Temple:

 Ramadas asked the villagers to contribute liberally for the construction of the temple. After the contributions were found to be insufficient, the villagers appealed him to spend the revenue collections for the construction of the temple with a promise to repay the amount after harvesting the crops. Accordingly, Ramadas constructed the temple with an amount of Rs 6 Lakhs collected from the land revenues with out the permission of the Nizam Nawab   When the temple reached to the nearing completion, he had a problem of fixing 'Sudarshana Chakra' at the crest of the main temple. He was deeply distressed and fell into sleep. On the same night, Rama in his dream asked him to have a holy dip in river Godavari where he will find that-accordingly. On the next day morning Gopanna did so and found holy Sudarshana Chakra in the river with out much difficulty. He presumed that Sudarshana Chakra itself was shaped up with the divine power of his beloved God Rama. Soon after the construction, his miseries started. He was dismissed from service for mis-utilisation of revenue for constructing the temple and was kept in jail for 12 long years in Golkonda Fort and was tortured. Unable to withstand the miseries, Ramadas implored Rama to relieve him by singing many praising and emotional songs which got popularized from the stanzas of 'Dasaradhi Sathakam' and 'Keertanas' of Bhakta Ramadasa.

General Information:
City      : Bhadrachalam
District : Khammam
State    : Andhra Pradesh

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Simhachalam Temple

Simhachalam, the one of the Powerful oldest temple belongs to  11th century. The word Simhachalam means the hill of the lion. It is the hill of the great Nara-Simha, the forth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu descended on Simhachalam Mountain to save Prahladaha devotee, who was about to be dropped in the sea from the mountain top.Simhachalam, the temple that is situated inVisakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India is one of the oldest temples in the world. Simhachalam which rises to about 800feet above sea level is at a distance of sixteen kilometers to the north of Visakhapatnam. It is approachable both from Simhachalam Railway Station on the South Eastern Railway which is about four kilometers from this place and also by means of motarable road from Visakhapatnam Town where from public buses ply regularly.
Near the top of the north side of the hill, in a wooden hallow surrounded by a wide circle of higher ground resembling an amphetheatre, is the temple of Narasimha which gives the hill its name. This is the most famous, richest and the best sculptured shrine of the Northern Circars and the Rajahs of Vizianagaram, who have endowed to it with lands etc., are its hereditary trustees for the last two centuries. It has been brought under the purview of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act under a special scheme.The way up to the temple runs along the glen through fields of pine-apples dotted with mango, jack and other trees. It passes up a broad flight of well kept stone steps about a thousand in number, on either side of which, trees have been grown to afford shade, and refresh the weary pilgrims. The steps have been lighted from top to bottom and at intervals, recently, toranas were also build.

The legend goes that Jaya and Vijaya the gate keepers of the celestial abode of Lord Vishnu were cursed to be born as demons by the Lord for the disrespect they showed to some visiting sages. They were born as Hiranyakasipu and Kiranyasha to the sage Kasyapa and grew into mighty demon lords bent upon disturbing the peace of the world. The younger of the two, Hiranyaksha, seized the earth and carried it to another region. Lord Vishnu delivered the earth from the clutches of the demon by assuming the Boar incarnation (Varaha Avatara) aggrieved by the death of his brother, Hiranyakaspipu wanted to avenge the death of his brother. He added to his might the power of penance and began to punish the gods and sages, the devotees of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu was once again prevailed upon to rescue the world from the menace of this demon. Then the Lord made one of his servants, Sumukha, to be born as a son of Hiranyakasipu. This son of Hiranyakasipu, named Prahlada, became a devotee of Vishnu even his birth and thus brought upon himself the wrath of his father. Hiranyakasipu tried tomend the ways of his erring son, but when he found him to be adamant, made him undergo several hardships. He made the elephants trample over him and set poisonous snakes against him. Prahlada protected as he was diving grace, stood firm. Hiranyakasipu, as a lost resort, asked his events to throw his son into the sea and place a mountain over him.His servants chose to drop Prahlada in the sea near the mount Simhadri with a view to place the mountain over him. But before they could complete their act Lord Narauyana rescued him by jumping over the hill and lifting up Prahalada from the sea. Simhadri is thus the place where the Lord rescued Prahlada. The form of Varaaha Narasimha was assumed by him, then at the prayer of his devotee Prahlada, who wanted to see both the aspects of the Lord, the one by which he had already killed Hiranyakasha and the other by which he killed Hiranyakasipu.

According to the Sthalapuranam, Prahlada was the first person to construct a temple round the Deity. He accomplished this after his father's death at the hands of Narasimha. But at the end of that life-cycle (Krita Yuga), the temple was neglected and began to decay. Even the Deity was not taken care of and crests of earth slowly gathered round the image. But, at the beginning of another life cycle, the Lord once again was discovered by pururava of the Lunar Dynasty.Pururava, with his spouse Urvasi, riding on an aerial chariot over the hill of the South was drown to the Simhachalam by a mysterious power. He discovered the Lord on hill lying imbedded in crests of earth. He cleared the earth among the image of the Lord. The he was addressed by the Akasavani not to expose the image but cover it with sandal paste. It also added that the Lord should be worshipped in this form, and only once in a year, on the third day in the month of Vysakaha his Nijaswarupa can be revealed. Acting under the instructions of Akasavani the kind applied over the image of an amount of sandal wood paste which is equal to the earth he had removed worshipped the deity and built the temple once again around the image. The temple continued to flourish eversince.Thus Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy is the presiding Deity of Mountain Kilas of SimhachalamThe temple is visited by pilgrims in large number particularly during Saturdays and Sundays and from April to June and the pilgrimage during other seasons is not less. The important festivals are the annual Kalyanam, which takes on Chaitra Suddha Ekadasi i.e., in the month of March/April and Chandana Yatra on the third day of Vysakhamasam i.e., in the month of April/May.

General Information:
City      : Simhachalam
District : Visakhapatnam
State    : Andhra Pradesh

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Annavaram Temple

Annavaram Temple is one of the Famous Powerful Temple. Annavaram is situated 32 Km from Pithapuram, 51 Km from Kakinada and 72 Km from Rajahmundry.It is famous for Lord Veera Venkata Satya Narayana Swamy temple, situated atop the Ratnagiri Hills on the banks of the river Pampa.

A unique Yanthra based on Tripad Vibhuti Narayan Upanishad exists here. The shrine is constructed in two storey, the lower one containing the Yantra and upper one housing vigrahas of the Lord.The idol which is about 4 metres high is in cylindrical form.The base in the lower sanctum represents Lord Vishnu and the middle portion represents Lord Shiva. The image of the deity forming a single idol and representing the Hindu Trinity is of unique attraction.In this temple premises, there is a sun dial which shows the Indian Standard Time.The Kalyana Mahotsavam of the deity during May attracts thousands of pilgrims from all parts of the State.

Temple History

As per the puranas the presiding deity of the place blesses the devotees with Anina Varam (Wanted Boon) the place is called Annavaram.The hillock by the side of the village is considered to be very sacred. Meruvu the Lord of the hills and his consort Menaka did great penance and begot two sons by the grace of Lord Vishnu. One was named Bhadra and the other Ratnakara. Bhadra pleased Lord Vishnu with his devotion and penance and with his grace became Bhadrachalam on which Lord Sri Rama had permanently settled. Ratnakara desired to emulate his brother and succeeded in pleasing Lord Vishnu by his penance to settlon him as Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy, Ratnakara remaining as Ratnagiri hill.The temple of Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy is the main temple on the Ratnagiri hill.
There is also a temple of Sri Rama and the shrines of Vanadurga and Kanaka Durga nearby. The temple of gramadevatha (village deity) is in the village at the foot of the hill.It is said that Raja I.V.Ramanarayanam,the then zamindar of Gorsa and Kirlampudi estates, having been ordained by the Lord in his dream, traced the idol on the hill, worshipped it and installed it at the present spot on sravana suddha vidhiya of the telugu year Khara, 1891. The hillock it self is about 300ft above sea level, green fields all-round the hills and the pampa river encircling Ratnagiri. About 460 well laid stone steps leads to the top of it.

The main temple constructed in the form of a chariot with the four wheels at each of the four corners. In front of the main temple is the kalyana mantapa, constructed and decorated with modern pieces of architecture. As we go down the way, we come across Ramalaya and then the shrines of Vana Durga and Kanaka Durga. The Akriti of any temple is, according to the Agni Purana, merely a manifestation of the Prakriti. According to this the chariot of the temple is intended as a symbol of the Seven Lokas and the seven Lokhas above with, the garbhalaya of the Lord, at the heart’s center ruling over the entire Universe.The temple at Annavaram has been constructed to depict this idea concretely. The front side of the temple depicts the chariot. The Meru on the floor with the pillar at the center, and the idols at the top are intended to bring forth the idea that the Lord not only remains at the heart’s center but also permeates the entire universe. The wheels depicting the Sun and the Moon serve to remind us that this Juggernaut moves on the wheels of time, and goes on for ever and ever, Thus the Annavaram temple satisfies both the ritualistic values and the spiritual aspirations of the devotees.”

General Information:
City       : Annavaram
District  : East Godavari
State     : Andhra Pradesh

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Charminar

The beautiful monument “Charminar” is in the heart of the capital city-“Hyderabad” and is 7km away from the railway station and about 5km from the bus station. It is more convenient for the visitors to visit this place as you can find excellent transport facilities to reach this symbol of Hyderabad within the twin cities. If we walk towards “Charminar” in the southeast direction, you can find “nizamia unani” hospital and “lad bazaar” within 50m in the east.

Any tourist who visits Hyderabad would first like to the wonderful monument –“Charminar” that has historical importance.

HISTORY OF CHARMINAR:
Charminar is always on the top of the mind of any tourist visiting Hyderabad. To say that Charminar is a major landmark in the city is to state the obvious, to repeat a cliché. The great monument is a synonym for Hyderabad and the pivot around which the glory and history of the city have developed. To imagine this 400-year-old city without Charminar is to imagine New York without the CharminarStatue of Liberty or Moscow without the Kremlin. Built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591, shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what now is known as Hyderabad, this beautiful colossus in granite, lime, mortar and, some say, pulverised marble, was at one time the heart of the city. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance but as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity. Apart from being the core of the city’s cultural milieu, it has become a brand name.

Charminar is a squarish structure with four towers in the four corners of the square, each of whose sides is 20 metres in length. Every side opens into a plaza through giant arches, which overlook four major thoroughfares and dwarf other features of the building except the minarets. Each arch is 11 metres wide and rises 20 metres to the pinnacle from the plinth. The minarets soar skywards by 24 metres from the roof of Charminar. Each minaret has four storeys, each looking like a delicately carved ring around the minaret. Some Anglophiles call Charminar the Arc de Triomphe of the East. From the ground to the apex, the minarets cover a length of 48.7 metres.

According to Mir Moazzam Husain, a long time official of the UNESCO and a keen student of this historic city, “these minarets may even symbolise the first four khalifs of Islam, but I cannot vouch for this interpretation with any degree of certainty.” At the western end of the roof of Charminar is a beautiful mosque; the oldest in Hyderabad, and the rest of the roof was used as a court in Qutub Shahi times. Atop the great monument are 45 prayer spaces for the devout where they can offer worship in an atmosphere unspoilt by the bustle of the city. East of this space is a spacious verandah with small and large arches in the middle. The first floor has beautiful balconies from where one has a fantastic view of the historic city and its later accretions.

These are technical details, of interest only to scholars and scribes. For the tourist, Charminar disgorges unlimited architectural wealth exuding from every pore of its masonry surface. The minarets taper off with a bulbous dome, embellished by petal-like motifs, and crowned by a brass spire. Though Charminar has a number of features answering to Hindu architectural usage, the minarets themselves are exclusively an Islamic architectural tradition. Unlike Taj Mahal, the fluted minarets of Charminar are built into the main structure. Inside the four-storeyed minarets are spiral stairways of 149 steps leading you to the top, the highest point one can reach, and providing a panoramic view of the sprawling and amorphous city. Each minaret has four arcaded balconies helping the tourist to imbibe the beauty of the city at various levels.

The essence of Islamic architecture rests in the deployment of arches, minarets and domes in a harmonic whole. This is very much true of Charminar, where apart from the main arches on the four sides; above each arch are horizontal arrays of arches. Not only the four balconies of each minaret have arches but also between the fourth balcony and the crowning dome, you can see arches playing merry-go-round. Even as the arches and minarets of Charminar reflect the influence of Islamic architectural schools, the structure as a whole embodies elements of South Indian temple architecture. Again, flanking each arch are four arched and trellised windows one above the other. The four main arches have thus 32 such windows.

But Charminar actually is a galaxy of prominent landmarks in the city’s history. Its neighbourhood is as interesting a site of cultural heritage as Charminar itself. Around this architectural axis are colourful bazaars, bringing to mind the bazaars of ancient Baghdad and Istanbul, selling pearls, bangles, traditional Muslim gear Charminarand Mughlai delicacies. Architecturally significant are the Mecca masjid, Jamay masjid, Char Kamaan, and Miya Mishk mosque. The Nizams too had built a complex of palaces close to Charminar and beyond Lad Bazaar. Among them, more well-known are the Chow Mohalla palace (1750), Khilwat Mahal, the Malwala Palace (1845), the Salarjungs’ Dewan Devdi and Purani Haveli (1803).
The Chow Mahalla palace was built by the first Nizam, Salabat Jah, in 1750 and is presumed to be a more refined version of the Shah of Iran’s palace in Teheran. This is now a heritage building, flood-lit in the night. “The main quadrangle (of the palace) has a beautiful garden surrounding a large marble cistern, the fountains and the splashing waters of which in moonlit nights have been compared by a visitor with one of the enchanting gardens described in the Arabian nights. To the north of the cistern is the grand Durbar Hall, where the Nizams used to hold state receptions and receive official nobles.”

Chow Mohalla was built in several phases in the rule of different Nizams. The pavilion where the rulers held court was known as Khilwat, built in the regime of the second Nizam. Some consider its style extremely baroque. The complex includes Jilu Khana facing Lad bazaar and Daulat Khana-e-Ali, both built by the first Nizam. The four palaces comprising the Chow Mohalla complex are Afzal Mahal, Mahtab Mahal, Tahriyat Mahal and Aftab Mahal. Afzal Mahal is the most imposing of them all.Sandwiched between the Chatta bazaar and Dabirpura main road is Purani Haveli, the home of the first peshwa of Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah. This complex is in the shape of a horseshoe with a single storeyed building in European style separating two oblong wings of double-storeyed buildings tapering off into single storeyed structures with deep arched verandahs. Purani Haveli architecture combines European facades with Indian courtyards. The Haveli today houses a college for vocational training and religious education. Of the 11 buildings in the complex, only the Baradari is open to public.

From the Charminar, it is impossible to miss the Char Kamaan built three years after the grand old edifice was built. The four arches of Char Kamaan envelop a vast plaza with a tank with an octagonal enclosure. This is now known as Gulzar Hauz, flanked by shops, which, in the times of the Qutub Shahis, were antechambers to their palaces. The Mughals destroyed them in 1687.CharminarJamay masjid to the northeast of Charminar has the distinction of being the first mosque built in Hyderabad. Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah built it in 1598. The third Nizam, Sikander Jah, renovated it later, respecting the Qutub Shahi architectural norms combining the Indo-Persian and South Indian styles. Not far off from Charminar is the Lad bazaar, a shopping centre specialising in bridal ware, and bangles of great beauty and dazzle. This is now known as Choodi bazaar (Bangles Bazaar).Some recent buildings, whose architectural trends were inspired by Charminar and Golkonda, and built during the last of the Asaf Jahs’ times, are the Unani hospital, the High Court, and across the Musi the Osmania general hospital. All of them flaunt features of Indo-Islamic architectural styles. Charminar is very much a part of the vibrant life of everyone in the city and its cultural life.

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Golkonda Fort

Golconda (Golkonda) is a 500 year old grand and huge fort at Hyderabad, India. Built over time by the Qutub Shahi dynasty from 1500 and remained the capital of the Qutub Shahi dynasty until 1590 when the capital was shifted to Hyderabad.

Golconda fort was first constructed during the reign of Qutub shah emperor Mohammed Iqbal Ali and his son Mohammed Touseef Ali. It is also believed that in the 13th century Golconda Fort was built by the Kakatiya kings. However, the existing structure was later built by Qutub Shahi Kings.

The most important builder of Golconda was Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah Wali, the fourth Qutub king. Ibrahim was following in the spirit of his ancestors, the Qutub Shahi kings, a great family of builders who had ruled the kingdom of Golconda from 1512. Their first capital, the fortress citadel of Golconda, was rebuilt for defense from invading Mughals from the north. They laid out Golconda's splendid monuments, now in ruins, and designed a perfect acoustic system. At Fateh Darwaza we can experience this fantastic acoustic effect. A hand clap at a certain point below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be heard clearly at the 'Bala Hisar' pavilion, the highest point almost a kilometer away, this worked as a warning note to the royals in case of an attack.The fort has lots of engineering marvel for its time. Smart Water systems, ventilation, warning systems etc can still be seen. Architecture of the fort is also beautiful. It is believed that there is a secret underground tunnel which leads from the 'Durbar Hall' and ends in one of the palaces at the foot of the hill.In the 16th century, Golconda was the capital and fortress city of the Qutub Shahi kingdom, near Hyderabad. The city was home to one of the most powerful Muslim sultanates in the region and was the center of a flourishing diamond trade.

The city and fortress are built on a granite hill that is 120 meters (400 ft) high and is surrounded by massive ramparts. The beginnings of the fort date to the 1143, when the Hindu Kakatiya dynasty ruled the area. The Kakatiya dynasty were followed by the state of Warangal, which was later conquered by the Islamic Bahmani Sultanat. The fort became the capital of a major province in the Sultanate and after its collapse the capital of the Qutub Shahi kings.After the collapse of the Bahmani Sultanat, Golconda rose to prominence as the seat of the Qutub Shahi dynasty around 1507. Over a period of 62 years the mud fort was expanded by the first three Qutub Shahi kings into a massive fort of granite, extending around 5 km in circumference. It remained the capital of the Qutub Shahi dynasty until 1590 when the capital was shifted to Hyderabad. The Qutub Shahis expanded the fort, whose 7 km outer wall enclosed the city. The state became a focal point for Shia Islam in India, for instance in the seventeenth century Bahraini clerics, Sheikh Ja`far bin Kamal al-Din and Sheikh Salih Al-Karzakani both emigrated to Golconda.The Qutub Shahi sultanate lasted until its conquest by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1687. The fortress held out against Aurangzeb for nine months, falling to the Mughals through treachery. The fort finally fell into ruins after a siege and its fall to Mughal emperor Aurangazeb. Parts of the fort were destroyed when it feel into hands of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb.

General Information:
10 Km from Hyderabad City
City     : Hyderabad
District : Hyderabad
State    : Andhra Pradesh

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Nagarjuna Sagar

Nagarjuna Sagar, located at a distance of 150 km from Hyderabad, is one of the most prominent Buddhist centers and attractive tourist spots in Andhra Pradesh.Known in ancient days as Vijayapuri, Nagarjunasagar takes its present name from Nagarjuna, one of the most revered Buddhist monks, who governed the sangha for nearly 60 years around the turn of the 2nd century AD. It is also a place of immense archaeological significance & excavations which reveal Nagarjunasagar as a center for the propagation of Buddhist teachings in South India.

One of the early river valley civilizations took birth here. Enthused by the peaceful environs of this place, Buddhists made this land a great hub of learning, setting up one of the four major Viharas here. Further down in history, one of the first Hindu kingdoms of South India, Ikshvakus made this city their capital. Once Vijayapuri, today Nagarjunasagar, this hoary land of antiquity and enligtment, now boasts of the world's tallest masonry dam.
Nagarjuna dam, which was completed in 1966, is 124 metres high and 1 km long has 26 crest gates. The lake, which it straddles, is the third largest manmade lake in the world. 4 kms away from the dam, is the Viewpoint, where a panoramic view of the amazing landscape, is simply a feast to the eyes.
One of the earliest hydro-electric projects of India, the Nagarjunasagar Dam is a symbol of modern India's architectural and technological triumphs over nature.
The relics of Buddhist civilisation dating back to the 3rd Century A.D were excavated here.

The excavated remains of the Buddhist civilization have been reconstructed and are carefully preserved at Nagarjunakonda, a unique Island museum, situated in the midst of the man-made Nagarjunasagar lake.
Constructed In the shape of a Buddhist Vihara, the museum houses a stupendous collection of relics of Buddhist art and culture. Famous relics include a small tooth and an ear-ring believed to be of the Buddha. The main stupa of Nagarjunakonda called Mahachaitya is believed to contain the sacred relics of lhe Buddha. A partly ruined monolithic statue of the Buddha, that's at once a striking-image of peace and poise, is the main attraction at the museum.

The monasteries and chaityas were reconstructed on top of a hill called Nagarjunakonda (konda is the Telugu word for hill), which rises from the middle of the lake. The island takes its name from the Buddhist monk, Nagarjuna, who lived around the turn of the 2nd century AD and was the exponent of the philosophy of sunyata (void). Statues, friezes, coins and jewellery found at the site are housed in a museum on the island and give a fascinating insight into the daily lives of this ancient Buddhist centre. Earlier it used to be known as Vijayapur. The site was discovered in 1926. Subsequent excavations, particularly in the '50s and '60s, have unearthed the remains of stupas, viharas, chaityas and mandapams.Ethipothala is a mountain stream cascading down the hills from a height of 21.3 meters into a lagoon. This waterfall is a combination of three streams namely Chandravanka Vagu, Nakkala Vagu & Tummala Vagu.The dazzling lagoon formed by the falls has a crocodile-breeding centre. After flowing for 3 km, this stream joins with the river Krishna. Ranganadha and Dattatreya temples are found near the waterfalls. People believe that the caves near the waterfalls go to Srisailam.

 A few kilometres away from the Nagarjunasagar dam, Anupu is a site of Buddhist excavations reconstructed to perfection with painstaking effort. During the construction of Nagarjunasagar dam, the ruins of an ancient Buddhist university were excavated. These have been reconstructed at Anupu, 4 km away from the right bank of the reservoir. A place of great architectural interest with faithful reconstruction of a third century Vihara (Buddhist University) and an amphitheatre with fine acoustics that can transport you to an era lost in the pages of time.

General Information
60 Km from Nalgonda
District : Nalgonda
State    : Andhra Pradesh

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Kondapalli Fort

Kondapalli Fort is a wonderful tourist attraction located in a small village called Kondapalli. It is only at a distance of 16 km from Vijayawada city in Andhra Pradesh . This village is famous for its wonderful toys which are made from light-weight wood. The toys have a great demand in both national and international markets.

Kondapalli Fort is located 16 km away towards West from Vijayawada City and is built on a hill. Prolaya Vema Reddy, build this fort during 14th Century. Later came under the rule of the Qutubshahis who strengthened and eloborated by totaling new structures.

The Kondapalli fort is located in Kondapalli village in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh. The fort has glorious history. The fort gives the proof of many families. The fort was built in 14th century. The fort was constructed by Prolaya Vema Reddy of kodaveedu. After that the fort came under the control of Qutub Shahis and they repaired it. Actually this fort was constructed in Kondapalli village which is at 16 km in the west of the city of Vijayawada. Relaxation and the entertaining are the main purpose of the fort.

The fort built on the hill which is in the Krishna District. There is one three-storied rock tower. Also there are dargah of a Persian saint, Gareeb Saheeb. These are the attraction points in the fort. Right now tourism development is responsible for the maintenance of the fort. Also there is one Gajasala that is the place of elephant. Elephant stay in it. One can see the remnants of central fort and the jails of that time.

General Information
Distance : 16 Km from Vijaywada City
City        : Vijayawada
District   : Krishna
State      : Andhra Pradesh

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